Rev. Alan Cross is the senior pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Cross submitted to the resolutions committee of the Alabama Baptist Convention a resolution titled “Calling for the Affirmation of Alabama Baptist Churches to Provide a Welcoming Hospitable Environment for the Immigrants and Aliens in our Midst.” This resolution comes in the aftermath of Alabama’s adoption of a controversial, draconian anti-illegal immigration law known as HB 56.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that though we are to submit to the governing authorities and live quiet, peaceful lives (1 Peter 2:13-17; 1 Timothy 2:1-6), we are to first show love and concern for all people according to God’s higher law as we love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage Alabama Baptist churches and individual Christians to care for all of those in need as God places them in our path whether they are here legally or not; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all people in all circumstances praying that all come to salvation in Christ; and

The resolutions committee has apparently rejected the resolution.

From Cross on details about the rejection:

I spoke to several people who were in the room and I heard their response as to why the resolution was dismissed. I will not share specifics, but it appeared to me (and this is just my judgment – I might be wrong) that the concern for the law of the state was higher than concern for God’s command to actively love all people, regardless of the consequences.

It also appeared to me (again, I could be wrong) that they were more concerned with having political access to Republicans than they were with clearly affirming a path of action for Baptists to obey the clear mandate of Scripture to love their neighbor as themselves.

I am not saying that all on the committee thought this as I believe that some wanted to approve the resolution. But, it seems that the voices against it were louder than the voices for it since the resolution did not make it out of committee.

History tells us that Rev. Cross’ judgments are much more likely to be right rather than wrong. Southern Baptists—especially at the state level—have many of the same problems as the Republican Party.

And in Alabama, Jim Crow has been replaced with Juan Crow. Southern Baptists were instrumental in making that happen. So, it comes as no surprise that Alabama Baptist leaders have rejected this resolution.

4 Comments

Richard
January 5, 2013

I just found this…No reactions to this November post? Looks like Southern Baptists are more concerned about who is walking which line concerning Calvinism than leading our churches in the way Christ would have us go. Would love to see this posted on SBC Voices. Maybe there would be some opportunity for our more conservative brothers to really deal with some of this.

just a thanks for trying to warn Jared about Wilson . . . Jared’s post is potentially harmful (in my opinion) to SBCvoices,
and Jared, I’m sure, cannot know the full implications of saying things like: “Wilson has one of the sharpest minds in evangelicalism today and one of the sharpest wits as well.”

goodness, if Jared doesn’t listen to you, I know he wouldn’t listen to me . . . I can only hope that Dwight McKissic will respond, or DAVID MILLER will realize the import of what Jared has done without realizing it.

Looks rather like Alabama Baptists as represented through their state covention were well served in the rejection of Cross’s resolution. An imposition of progressive social agendas by demanding a descending order of prooftexts is apparent. Even if the law is draconion. HB56 may have its problems but so does the rejection motion that was offered in response.